Israeli President Shimon Peres, right, shakes hands with U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell... 
(Brian Hendler, pool/AP Photo)
An American envoy sought to assure anxious Israeli leaders on Tuesday that U.S. support for the Jewish state remains firm, despite a growing rift over Israeli construction in West Bank settlements and the Obama administration's approach to peace efforts.
George Mitchell's comments appeared aimed at tempering a very public disagreement with the new Israeli government and could reflect U.S. awareness that pushing peace forward will not be easy if Israelis mistrust President Barack Obama.
The Mideast envoy's latest swing through the region, which is also set to include stops in the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, comes after Obama's landmark speech to the Muslim world last week.
The address, in which Obama promised to work aggressively to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has put Israeli leaders on edge, fearful that they are headed toward a policy clash with their closest and most important ally. In particular, Obama pressed his call for a halt to Israeli settlement construction on lands claimed by the Palestinians and the need for a Palestinian state.
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has conspicuously refused to embrace these goals, leading to one of the most public disagreements between Israel and the U.S. in years.
Israeli newspapers have been filled with commentators saying that Netanyahu is on a collision course with Obama and quoting anonymous Netanyahu aides as saying they believe Obama is out to get their boss. Netanyahu plans to respond to Obama's address in a major policy speech on Sunday.
Apparently seeking to calm Israeli nerves, Mitchell said the U.S. commitment to Israeli security is "unshakable," adding, "We come here to talk not as adversaries and in disagreement, but as friends in discussion." He spoke with Netanyahu at his side before their meeting Tuesday evening.
At the same time, Mitchell said the United States is sticking by its goals. At an earlier meeting with Israel's president, Shimon Peres, he called for an immediate resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and called on both sides to honor past commitments of the "road map" peace plan.
